Saturday, September 30
USAFA
12:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
11-4,3-1Mountain West
3
vs
2
Utah State
10-5,3-1Mountain West
1
2
3
4
5
F
Utah St.
18
25
25
19
13
2
Air Force
25
17
18
25
15
3
Photo by: Rayna Schmidt
Air Force Takes Down Utah State in Five-Set Comeback
9/30/2023 5:29:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. -- The Air Force volleyball team knocked off Utah State this afternoon (Sept. 30) during a thrilling five-set conference comeback at the Academy. The Falcons bested the previously unbeaten (in conference) Aggies by a 25-18, 17-25, 18-25, 25-19, 15-13 decision to improve to 3-1 in the Mountain West – matching the program's best four-match conference opening at Division I (2014).
With a team-high seven assisted blocks, senior Joi Harvey tied the Air Force Division I record for assisted blocks in a career, equaling the Academy Record of 282 that Summer Koons set during her career (1996-99). Harvey added a solo stop for a team-best eight-block performance.
Senior Aaryn Scires tallied a team-high 16 kills, while junior Mac Russ added 15 during a .591 hitting performance. Harvey also produced double-digit kills (11), as the trio combined for 42 of the team's 61 scores. Senior Caroline Reinkensmeyer earned 48 kills and posted a team-leading 16 digs, while she Harvey and sophomore Jordan Suan all tallied a service ace.
Harvey got her blocking off to a fast start, recording a pair of stops on back-to-back plays (assisted with Scires, assisted with sophomore Ashley Bible) as Air Force jumped out to a quick 3-1 lead. Scires, who scored the Falcons' first point of the match, added a second kill before the Aggies pulled within one (7-6). Harvey and Scires tallied kills and teamed up for back-to-back blocks, as the Falcons used a 4-0 run to take a five-point run (11-6). Harvey teamed up with Bible for another stop, tallied a kill and served up an ace, as the Falcons stretched their advantage to six (16-10). Utah State cut the deficit to two (19-17), before kills from Harvey (two), Russ and junior Ella Tschuor, headlined a 6-1 run to secure the Falcons' 25-18 win.
The teams traded the opening points of the second, before kills from Russ and Tschuor gave the Falcons a 6-5 lead. Russ added a set-tying kill at seven-all, but Utah State pushed its way to a 19-12 advantage. Sophomore Savanah Johnson added a pair of kills, but the Aggies evened the match with a 25-17 win.
A kill and block from Russ (assisted by Scires) highlighted a 5-2 run to the third set, while another kill from the junior and back-to-back scores from Reinkensmeyer (kill, ace) helped the Falcons take an 11-10 lead. Utah State responded with five-straight points (15-11) and eventually took the lead with a 25-18 win.
The Aggies took a quick 5-1 start in the fourth, before Tschuor and Russ combined for four-straight points that evened the set at five. A kill from senior Savannah Neal and three-straight errors from the Aggies helped Air Force take the lead at the 9-8 mark. Utah State evened the set 10, but a kill and solo block from Harvey gave Air Force a two-point lead, while three more kills from the senior helped Air Force take a 16-13 lead. Neal notched her first solo stop of the year, before a 5-1 run from the Aggies brought the visitors within two (19-17). Backed by two kills from Scires, as well as additional strikes from Neal and Russ, Air Force scored six of the final eight points to force the deciding set with a 25-19 victory.
Harvey tallied two more assisted blocks (one with Tschuor, one with Scires) as Air Force tied the set at two, before a kill from Tschuor helped even the score at four. The Falcons scored five straight points, as a pair of scores from Russ bookended a pair of kills from Scires to take a 10-7 lead. Utah State pulled within one, before back-to-back scores from Scires (kill) and Suan (ace) helped Air Force push its lead back to three (12-9). The Aggies pulled within one on two more occasions (13-12, 14-13), but a kill from Tschuor closed the game with the 15-13 win – the Falcons' second-straight home victory over the Aggies.
After its brief homestand, the Falcons head back out on the road next week for Mountain West contests at San Diego State (Oct. 5) and UNLV (Oct. 7). Both matches will be streamed live on the MW Network.
With a team-high seven assisted blocks, senior Joi Harvey tied the Air Force Division I record for assisted blocks in a career, equaling the Academy Record of 282 that Summer Koons set during her career (1996-99). Harvey added a solo stop for a team-best eight-block performance.
Senior Aaryn Scires tallied a team-high 16 kills, while junior Mac Russ added 15 during a .591 hitting performance. Harvey also produced double-digit kills (11), as the trio combined for 42 of the team's 61 scores. Senior Caroline Reinkensmeyer earned 48 kills and posted a team-leading 16 digs, while she Harvey and sophomore Jordan Suan all tallied a service ace.
Harvey got her blocking off to a fast start, recording a pair of stops on back-to-back plays (assisted with Scires, assisted with sophomore Ashley Bible) as Air Force jumped out to a quick 3-1 lead. Scires, who scored the Falcons' first point of the match, added a second kill before the Aggies pulled within one (7-6). Harvey and Scires tallied kills and teamed up for back-to-back blocks, as the Falcons used a 4-0 run to take a five-point run (11-6). Harvey teamed up with Bible for another stop, tallied a kill and served up an ace, as the Falcons stretched their advantage to six (16-10). Utah State cut the deficit to two (19-17), before kills from Harvey (two), Russ and junior Ella Tschuor, headlined a 6-1 run to secure the Falcons' 25-18 win.
The teams traded the opening points of the second, before kills from Russ and Tschuor gave the Falcons a 6-5 lead. Russ added a set-tying kill at seven-all, but Utah State pushed its way to a 19-12 advantage. Sophomore Savanah Johnson added a pair of kills, but the Aggies evened the match with a 25-17 win.
A kill and block from Russ (assisted by Scires) highlighted a 5-2 run to the third set, while another kill from the junior and back-to-back scores from Reinkensmeyer (kill, ace) helped the Falcons take an 11-10 lead. Utah State responded with five-straight points (15-11) and eventually took the lead with a 25-18 win.
The Aggies took a quick 5-1 start in the fourth, before Tschuor and Russ combined for four-straight points that evened the set at five. A kill from senior Savannah Neal and three-straight errors from the Aggies helped Air Force take the lead at the 9-8 mark. Utah State evened the set 10, but a kill and solo block from Harvey gave Air Force a two-point lead, while three more kills from the senior helped Air Force take a 16-13 lead. Neal notched her first solo stop of the year, before a 5-1 run from the Aggies brought the visitors within two (19-17). Backed by two kills from Scires, as well as additional strikes from Neal and Russ, Air Force scored six of the final eight points to force the deciding set with a 25-19 victory.
Harvey tallied two more assisted blocks (one with Tschuor, one with Scires) as Air Force tied the set at two, before a kill from Tschuor helped even the score at four. The Falcons scored five straight points, as a pair of scores from Russ bookended a pair of kills from Scires to take a 10-7 lead. Utah State pulled within one, before back-to-back scores from Scires (kill) and Suan (ace) helped Air Force push its lead back to three (12-9). The Aggies pulled within one on two more occasions (13-12, 14-13), but a kill from Tschuor closed the game with the 15-13 win – the Falcons' second-straight home victory over the Aggies.
After its brief homestand, the Falcons head back out on the road next week for Mountain West contests at San Diego State (Oct. 5) and UNLV (Oct. 7). Both matches will be streamed live on the MW Network.
Team Stats
USU
USAFA
Kills
58
61
Errors
24
26
Attempts
132
146
Hitting %
.258
.240
Points
73.0
74.0
Assists
58
53
Aces
6
3
Blocks
9
10
Game Leaders
Kills
16
Aces
0
Blocks
5
Kills
11
Aces
1
Blocks
8
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's Volleyball
RS
/ Women's Volleyball
OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballMB/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's VolleyballOH
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